• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Australia and New Zealand are officially the best spots to survive the apocalypse

Home> News

Updated 03:55 10 Feb 2023 GMTPublished 03:29 10 Feb 2023 GMT

Australia and New Zealand are officially the best spots to survive the apocalypse

They call Australia 'the lucky country' for a very good reason.

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang

If there has ever been a good reason to move Down Under, let it be this.

New research published in the journal Risk Analysis reckons the nation nicknamed 'the lucky country' is one of the best spots to wait out the end of days.

As well as Australia, the study revealed its trans-Tasman neighbour New Zealand also scores highly on the survivalist index, with fellow island nations Iceland, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu listed as big winners.

Advert

These island nations are the most capable of providing enough food and resources for their populations in situations that may result in an 'abrupt sunlight‐reducing catastrophe'.

So think nuclear war, a supervolcano explosion, or an asteroid strike.

Researchers state there would 'likely be pockets of survivors around the planet' even in the 'most severe' scenarios.

Australia came out on top due to its strong farming and food production sectors.
Andrey Moisseyev / Alamy

Those in the aforementioned island nations, with greater resiliency and resources, stand the best chance against a collapse of humanity and industry.

Advert

Researchers compared 38 different island countries across 13 categories that could mean life or death in a post-apocalyptic survival state.

Factors included food production, energy self-sufficiency, manufacturing, and the impact on climate.

Australia and New Zealand sat at the top of the pops thanks to their isolation from likely nuclear sites and high rates of agricultural production.

Overall though, Australia came out as the best spot to be if there is an apocalypse.

"Australia’s food supply buffer is gigantic with potential to feed many tens of millions of extra people," the study reads.

Advert

Other factors that earned Australia its gold star were its good infrastructure, its vast energy surplus, and a high security/defence budget.

There was one drawback to being Down Under: The trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Its joint military allegiance with the UK and the US mean the nation is more likely to become a target in case of nuclear war.

This is where New Zealand performed stronger.

New Zealand: Not a bad place to spend the end of the world.
Yuri Arcurs/Amril Izan Imran/Alamy.

Advert

It's nuclear-free and is resilient in the event of a sudden drop in global temperature brought on by a period of darkness, as everywhere within the Kiwi nation is close to the sea, creating a temperature buffer.

"We have this super efficient food export economy that could feed New Zealanders multiple times over just from exports," University of Otago professor Nick Wilson said, who co-authored the study.

Even in the worst-case scenario - which would be 61 per cent reduction in crops during a prolonged nuclear winter, according to the science boffins - New Zealanders would still have enough to eat.

Comparatively, China, Russia and the US would see food production drop by an eye-watering 97 per cent if a nuclear winter strikes.

We know where we'd rather be.

Featured Image Credit: Rawpixel Ltd / Alamy. Tithi Luadthong / Alamy.

Topics: Australia, News, World News

Rachel Lang
Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

X

@rlangjournalist

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • British woman who moved to Australia shares harsh reality of what it's like to live there
  • Russia’s UK ‘hit list’ after country threatens ‘painful’ nuclear apocalypse in chilling response to Starmer report
  • Benson Boone UK tour sale officially opens, here's the best place to buy tickets
  • Government issued list of items Brits would need to survive nuclear attack as Russia threatens 'painful' apocalypse

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
3 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Exact time you should nap for as study shows regular napping slows brain aging by up to six years

    Any excuse for a good nap

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    'Suicide pod' creator slammed over latest 'kill switch' invention for dementia patients to schedule their future death

    Dr Philip Nitschke has received backlash over the proposal

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Major update in Air India crash investigation as authorities identify potential cause of plane going down

    The tragedy might have been triggered by an engine problem, according to reports

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Diddy’s disturbing act as 'freak off' sex tapes were shown in court for the first time

    The 55-year-old viewed the explicit videos privately

    News